1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk player using a magazine in which a plurality of disks are loaded in a stacked state for selecting the arbitrary disk out of the plurality of disks and playing the selected disk, and a disk chucking mechanism suitable for use in the disk player.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of this type of conventional disk player is one so adapted that a plate on which a disk is put is slid backward and forward or sideward and is pulled out from a magazine, to position the plate above or below a pickup in a player main body portion, and the disk on the plate is clamped by a disk chucking mechanism provided in the player main body portion to rotate the disk.
In the conventional structure, however, a space for pulling out the disk from the magazine must be ensured on the side of the disk player, and the space increases the size of the disk player.
Therefore, considered is a structure in which plates, each having a disk thereon, in steps above and steps below a plate of selected disk are respectively separated upward and downward without sliding the plate on which the selected disk is put, and a component equipped with a pickup and a disk chucking mechanism is moved into a magazine to clamp the selected disk.
Consequently, a disk player having such a structure can be miniaturized, as compared with the disk player having the structure in which the selected disk is pulled out and is played, because the necessity of the space for pulling out the disk is eliminated.
The conventional general disk chucking mechanism comprises a rotary driving portion rotated by a motor and a rotatable driven portion for pressing a disk from above, and enters a center hole of the disk from below. The thickness of the disk chucking mechanism having such a structure is increased because the rotatable driven portion for pressing the disk from above is required.
When the above-mentioned disk chucking mechanism is employed for the disk player having the structure in which the plates on which the disks are put are separated from each other upward and downward, therefore, the distance between the separated plates is increased, whereby the thickness of the disk player is increased, or the number of disks which can be loaded in the magazine is decreased.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 157859/1991 discloses a disk chucking mechanism having a structure in which the thickness thereof is decreased. The mechanism comprises a disk table, on which a disk provided with a center hole is put, rotated by a rotary driving mechanism, a fitting member arranged in the center of the disk table and fitted in the center hole of the disk, and a plurality of spherical members so disposed that they can retract into the fitting member and urged in the direction in which they protrude from the fitting member by an elastic member for pressing and supporting the disk put on the disk table against the disk table. It is considered that the disk chucking mechanism having such a structure is incorporated into the above-mentioned structure in which the plates are separated from each other upward and downward.
In the mechanism disclosed in the above-mentioned gazette, however, an inner side surface of the center hole of the disk must get over the spherical members in order to chuck the disk. For this purpose, a force for temporarily pressing the disk against the disk table is required. In the structure using the magazine, the force cannot be applied by a person. Therefore, the force must be applied by any mechanism. When such a structure is newly incorporated, the structure of the disk chucking mechanism becomes complicated.
Furthermore, in the disk player having the structure in which the plates in the magazine are separated from each other upward and downward, there is provided an arm for supporting and moving the disk chucking mechanism in order that the disk chucking mechanism is positioned in the center hole of the disk in a separated state (playing time), while retracting from the disk in a non-separated state (non-playing time). In this case, the length of the arm is larger than the radius of the disk. A pickup and its moving mechanism are carried on the arm in addition to the disk chucking mechanism. Further, the disk is put thereon at the time of playing. When a mechanism for rotating the arm by a supporting shaft provided at its one end is employed, the arm is slightly inclined when the disk is put thereon. If the amount of rise of the disk in a case where the disk is raised from the plate is small, the disk may be brought into contact with the plate. Further, the arm easily vibrates because it is supported on one side. When the vibration is increased due to the occurrence of resonance, focusing and tracking in the pickup may be interfered with.